Brother Josef had been hiding for the past one and a half years. Changed his name, got rid o his Beard. Even died his Hair. In the Backwater Farming Village of Südfurt he found a job, and had gone with a new name. It pained him he had to pretend praying to false gods, but anything that might make him seem christian was off the table.
He really had done fucked up. Of course Erik had known about the kidnapping about to happen, and he had done jack shit about it. Telling him off previously before, his ass. Erik had ignored it like the lazy Bum he really was.
The thought of the boy he lynched still lingered in his mind. It was such a heated situation, i mean he had to make an example out of disobedience. And they had grabbed a way to old boy with Arthur anyway. Of course, in hindsight it was a shitty decision, but who could blame him? It worked out for the Christians in the Empire. Erik suddenly started to act the leader he was supposed to be, the empire allowed the Christians to work closer with them. All at the cost of some ties to the Pope but who cared. The Bible never mentioned the Pope anyway.
It was late on this last day of December. He waited for a bus back to his lonely shack out in the woods. He'd still have to walk two kilometers but his safety had to come first. Unlike usual, there seemed to be a lonely passenger. A small teen and the smell of booze in the air. Josef quickly walked past.
They drove on, and he started to raise an eyebrow. Another one entered the bus at the next stop. A lot bulkier than the kid already waiting. An alarm went off in his Mind, as yet another one got on the bus. Josef pressed the stop button, as a way to familiar voice snarled:
"Don't even think about it, murderer."
Josef's blood froze. The fucking make believe Emperor Orion and one of his kidnapping victims. And then it hit him. All four of them. His four Escaped Victims. Even the Bloody Driver was just a Teen dressed up.
"The Driver is Military. So, i think it's time to talk." Orion kept on jabbing, as the man fumbled around in his pocket he still had a small gun in there, just in case.
"Looking for this?" Betram asked, holding up the Gun. He had gotten quite Bulky over the last year. Muscles flexing in the dark.
The third one snarled: "You taught us quite a bit, don't think we didn't plan this well ahead."
How long did these brats knew, he growled as he made sure he could duck away should they start shooting, grabbing the little hammer to break the windows on his way down.
Heinrich slowed the bus down before halting at Josef's stop. He stood up, before all four cornered Josef. Betram and Hans flanked him, while Orion walked casually past him:
"Anything you want to say?"
Josef snarled with a rasp laugh:
"What now? Kill me. I'll die on the Island or i die here. I achieved all i wanted. The order is back on his feet. I die a Martyr for true Christianity."
Heinrich went in full swing an punched him in the Face before joseph could duck back into cover:
"Shut up!" he yelled, loosing his cool before Orion held him, patting him on the back:
"He can't harm us anymore." with a resolving nod.
"Also the Military was so kind to lend us a hand. They are already all around the Bus. So don't bother fighting."
Betram pointed the gun at their former captor, nodding to the door: "OUT"
Josef obliged. He was defeated? what good was this now. He grinded his teeth, they probably where here for revenge. A red dot on his head told him the boy emperor was not kidding, running wasn't exactly an option.
"Anything to say now?" Hans asked with his voice squeaking.
"Someone's Voice is breaking? Cute" Josef got a kick in his guts as response. Tears of Pain swelling in the Mans eyes as he grunted:
"Fuck you kids."
The four of them shrugged demonstratively, before starting to kick together. Josef had waited for the moment, he grabbed the leg of hans, the youngest, and flipped him over the direction of the Sniped, using the boy as meat shield in the dark. The boot he got to his Face stopped the advance.
Hans stopped up and cleared the dirt the man getting pinned down by the other four as Hans gave him a well aimed kick into the crown jewels.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT" Josef yelled, spitting blood and a tooth after Orion this time had punched him.
"See you wincing. That's all." Orion stated, shivering to his bones as tears welled up in his eyes:
"We didn't forget any of what you did to us. None of us can sleep without being afraid of you. But now, now we change that."
Heinrich nodded, all three of them in tears, though Josef didn't see that in the Dark.
"After tonight..." Bertram Started, before Heinrich finished: "You'll fear us for the rest of your life."
Protected by Albrecht's Hand Picked Soldiers, the four boys kept beating the man at their mercy for a while, whipping him, spitting in his face. Burning him with cigarettes. Everything they had been thinking up in their little Group Therapy Sessions over the last Months.
As the man lay down in a bloody mess, the soldiers grabbed him and brought him away:
"Make sure he survives." Orion told the soldiers, before looking at his fellow Plotters, the Firework for the new Year from the surrounding villages setting the night sky alight:
"No more being Afraid of him, that's our Resolution."
